Cental Hall
 

General View
 

Central Plaza
 

The Statue of Leonidas

For more photos 
please visit
Sparti's 
Photo Galerry

Few sight in the Peloponnese are more imposing than the imense bulk of Mount Taygetos towering above Sparta. The rich plain watered by Eurotas River that has made Sparta prosperous since antiquity stretches between mountain ranges. The ancient remains here are so meager that only the truly dedicated will seek them out. Others will prefer to take in the small archaeological museum, enjoy the bustling town of Sparta itself, and head 8 km down the road to the very impresive remains of the Byzantine city of Mistra.

A LOOK AT THE PAST:

When the dorians arrived,esthabilished the four villages of Pitane, Limnai, Mesoa and Kynosoura about 950 B.C. and divided up the conquered territory among the Spartiates. When Amyklai, which had remained a Mycenaean strong-
hold, also fell to Sparta about 800 B.C. the caracteristic dual monarchy came into begin,with one king continuing the line of Dorian tribal leaders, the other that of the kings of Amyklai. in adition to the two kings Sparta has a Council of Elders and five ephors, who were elected annually
In a succesion of wars (740-720, 660, 464-459 B.C.) Sparta subjugated Messenia, to the West of Taygetos. Its decline began with a severe earthquake in 464 B.C. which killed all its young men, and it received a further blow in the defeat of a Spartan army by the Thebans under Epameinondas at Leuktra in 371 B.C.
The first defensive walls were built round the town about 200 B.C.. Under the Roman Empire Sparta enjoyed a revival of prosperity, but it was devastated by the Heruli in 267 A.D. and by Alaric's Visigoths in 395. In the 7th century Slavs esthabilished themselves in the region. In the 10th century it was evangelised by St. Nikon, who was buried on the acropolis hill at Sparta. In the 13th century Sparta was replaced by the newly founded town of Mistra. The town was refouded on the ancient site in 1834 by King Otto. 

WHAT TO SEE & DO:

The Acropolis and Ancient Theater
Is at the north end of town, just beyond the monumentale statue of Leonidas near the supposed site of his tomb. The 2nd century Ancient Theatre was one of the largest in Greece, it was dismantled and the blocks were carted off for reuse when the Franks built Mistra.

The Temple of Artemis Orthia
Where little Spartan boys were whipped to learn courage and endurance. The site which dates from the 10th century B.C. but was extensively remodeled by the Roman.

The Melenaion
Beside the shrine are the low remains of several Mycenaean houses, none of which seems remotely grand enough to have belonged to Menelaus. again, as with the acropolis of ancient Sparta, the real reason to come here is for view of the plain and Taygetos.

The Archaeological Museum
The prize of this museum is a handsome 5th century marble bust, believed to show Leonidas and to have stood on his tomb. The Spartans, however, were famous as soldiers, not as artists, and the museum's collections reflects Sparta's lack of a lively artistic tradition. Still it's worth stopping here to see the statue of Leonidas, several fine Roman mosaics and a small collection of objects found at Mycenaean sites near Sparta.

GETTING THERE:

115 km. from Tolo, 248 km from Athena
Altitude: 211m; Population: 12.000
By Bus
There are seven busses a day to Sparta  from the Stathmos Leoforia Peloponisou in Athens.
By Car
From Athens - Corinth - Tripoli, or Patras .